Our strategy
Our vision, mission and strategic priorities as a world-leading UK research and development facility.
Richard Oldfield, CEO
"We are industry's research and development partner. When companies need to make things lighter, stronger, smarter and more sustainable they come to the NCC. With access to 'beyond' state-of-the-art technology and the best composites engineering capabilities in the world, we help our customers solve the most complex engineering challenges of our time."
Our Story
The National Composites Centre was created as the UK’s Centre of Excellence for Composites Research and Development following the inclusion of this disruptive technology into government industrial strategy. Our task: to be recognised as a world leader in composite technology, accelerating the development and uptake of digital technologies for sustainable composites and growing the market for composites by driving innovation through collaboration and partnerships.
-
-
Governance
Information on our Governance arrangements as a subsidiary of the University of Bristol.
-
Meet the team
The NCC leadership team has extensive engineering and commercial experience across industry sectors.
-
Membership at the NCC
An NCC membership gives you access to 'beyond' state-of-the-art technology and the best composites engineering capabilities in the world, as well as expert advice from specialist engineers.
-
Academic reach
The NCC works proactively with universities across the UK and overseas in a number of ways to pull through fundamental research to industrial applications.
-
Cross-Catapult programmes
We work closely with partners across the High Value Manufacturing Catapult and wider UK Catapult Network on collaborative projects.
Why choose composites?
Composites enable our everyday lives – in transport, energy, healthcare, defence, communications and leisure. Lightweight, strong, durable and adaptable, the unique properties of composites help us to design and make better products with less waste that last longer, helping us to address urgent societal challenges of sustainability and net-zero.
Our networks
High Value Manufacturing Catapult
The NCC is proud to be one of seven centres that makes up the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, which is itself one of nine Catapults created as a key tool in Innovate UK’s range of innovation support for businesses. Each Catapult is focused on an area in which the UK has the potential to grow in strategically important global markets.
Composites Leadership Forum
The National Composites Centre is a pivotal member of the UK’s Composite Leadership Forum which works to influence the Government and other bodies to bring together support for composites and ensure growth and industrial success for the UK. It is chaired and led by industry.
Composites UK Trade Association
The NCC also is a board member of Composites UK Trade Association, fully supporting its mission to encourage continuous growth and development of the industry, promoting the best practice use of composites materials. We work closely to bring companies throughout the composites supply chain together, creating a unified voice to drive the industry forward to the benefit all of those involved.
Our Members
Our latest news
News
News
News
News
News
-
Innovation partnership to anchor UK’s sustainable offshore wind industry
10 Oct 2024NCC, Bristol Composites Institute and Vestas have established a strategic technology research partnership to anchor the UK’s future wind industry. This enhanced, sustained collaboration will accelerate wind blade technology development necessary to propel the UK’s clean energy superpower ambitions and enable supply chain resilience. -
ASCEND wins ATI Team Award
09 Oct 2024ASCEND wins the ATI Team Award for Successful Collaboration and Partnership, honoring its groundbreaking progress in composite technology and supply chain development. Led by GKN Aerospace with a consortium of partners, including the NCC, the programme has driven innovations that will shape the future of high-rate production for civil aircraft, the automotive industry and future mobility markets. -
Space West - September Newsletter 2024
30 Sep 2024Welcome to the September edition of our Space West Newsletter. With each newsletter, we aim to share the most recent discoveries, advancements, and stories from the world of Space in the South West. -
National Composites Centre’s early careers engineers help power Paralympic Champion
27 Sep 2024Early career engineers at the National Composites Centre (NCC) are thrilled to have helped power Paralympic Champion Emma Wiggs MBE to gold at the Paris 2024 games by developing an optimised seat for her boat. -
Road to NetZero podcast, featuring Will Grocott
26 Sep 2024William Grocott, Head of Delivery for Services speaks to Clem Silverman, Stakeholder engagement lead for Advanced Propulsion Centre UK about the latest technology and system-level Roadmaps from the Automotive Council UK and why they are so important to the future of the industry.
